The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-08-03
= :
PINE LEAT STRAW
HoH. y. p. HaTLEG, Commissioner Of
Agriculture, Cciumbia, S. c.:

Agriculture, Ccinmbia, S. c.:
in compliance with your request, and
for the benefit Of some OF our farmers, ]
vii! give you my experience, and that Of
some OF my neighbors, but more par,
ticniarly my own, as =! can speak more
definitely, Of the use of pine straw as a
manure. | have been using it for six
teen years. and for the most Of this time
/ have been using ten cords to the acre
for cotton, and with that amount OF
straw and 100 lbs. acil phosphate, 1GO
lbs. kniait, and IS buchels of cotton
seed, | make an average OF a bale OF cot
ton TO the acre, G:rd some years I get Il
bale and lalf, on what was said to bc
Old wo1i out land, but by the use OF the
above | row have my land in good heart
It is said by some farmers that straw will
Kill the cotton, but have never had it
to Kill my cotton, and would use double
the quantity that I do if it We're so that
/ could get it to the land, as getting it
in the Land is small matter with US.
We break the old beds down with SIX
fur-ows with q seven inch turn plough,
then open with IN eight inch double
winged straight hoe sixteen inches long;
thus it may be seen how I get in NY ten
cords to the without trouble. 1t is said
by some that claim too much for pine
straw, but this is O mistake, as I only
claim what the analysis, I believe, gives
it, about S per cent. potash; but to take
it ct much less, and still I am an advo-
cate for its use, for claim a good deal
for its pcrcoiating influence in the land
the same that yeast has in our bread
fer in this: it opens the soil and lets IN
the air AM; admits the gases from the
rain, which, in close clay soil, is very
necessary, and, as l think, in all soils,
whether it be clay or otherwise. There
are many objections to the ase OF straw.
One adduced Gy men Of Intelligence is,
Chat straw, when rotted, becomes sand,
which, according to my experience, is
both false and true, for claim that the
same soil that produces the growth, when
rottcd il wilt tc the same, cit.er sand or
clay. believe al the farmers know
that cotton grown on clay land has q
yellow tingc, produced by tic clay; an:
il or !int r;:rsakcs Of the soil. Wy not
pine straw?
But 20 o:T1 yoa oti:cr than .ny own
experience. II speaking TO . vel -to-,io
farmer on tie subject, jle s;;i2 he would
quit The farm il kc coylt; not set pine
straw. as !.2 is ONO That uses it largely.
But it may be asked, low We are to get
il s,lch quantities? / car only say how
I Go it at this writinS. ] have in tie
woods tiiteca HUndGet! pics, four feet
high a:id fo"r ie>t wi;.e; tucsc have been
rakcd wien the weather was such that
could not DO Other farm work; and when
We Icy by our crop, which VIC usually CO
about THE 18th Of July, tier, octweeu
that and the blade ss..tt...e:,ilg, We get az
VIC use i: tic :oi;; :;!lG NjleG We first gGt
u Il. ;ot !! IS zen o. twelve tcct deep
away from tie fence. ii this is rot done
We cou!G never get i from th3 aooGs ii
the spring, and, having il y. lie lot, it is
trampcd by The s.o@n, s:al though no5
cut I'D, @s tsIjo cannot be Cn account OF
wet, does not get Giy uHtii :,:;G.iiilg c.
the time for pli;ng. may be wrong,
but ] t!lin:, lie reason Why there is no
more straw used is becaasc there is not
enough put i'll the iaG&, for it takes g.
large quantity, in bulk, 70 make . little
carth vixen rotted; and :: w:Is say this:
the more one ss!.s2; sho more phosphate
ne my Win paying results il lie viii
only be sure and get the straw well in
the furrows. | have used for3y-tjve Barge
piles to the acre Cor sweet potatoes, and
this alone, and nlaGc very iine potatoes;
but l put two mules to the plough, and
got the straw well in the ground. There
is one fact about straw that nay not be
generally known; it is this: very soo2
after it is put IL the ground t goes
through awe&t, and does not get dry
any more until rotted, at which time I
have taken it up from the bottom Of the
plant fllrrow and found that the decom
posed straw was network Of fibre -oc:S
that have been feeding .hheIe thToug:.
the season. RG. must say, before I
close, that tie iirst year in the use OF
straw It does net pay so largely, but eacn
Succeeding year Will pay moro and more,
or this has been my experience, and IL.
3. N. Pitts, OF Sumter co;;::..,.tt, gave ne
the same as his experience, and be has
i broadcast with good results, which |
have never done. Now, in conclusion.
let NE say, while the cotton plant is
made up OF seven cor?no1aat parts, and
pine straw viii :.lG does constitute one
OF those parts, a little push and pluck
and - have that on hand in the :ara-
yard al 10 great cost.
Yours faithfully, &c,
LOUIS II. DEsGHAMrS.
,ru.l..,,, 9 - IL.